The news comes less than a day after FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported Qualls, who has served as Houston's part-time closer this season, had been claimed by an unnamed club.

Despite putting a claim on Qualls, there's no guarantee the Tigers will be able to acquire the veteran reliever. In fact, there's a strong likelihood the Astros will pull Qualls off waivers, rather than trade him.

The two sides will have until Wednesday to work out a deal. The Astros could also award Qualls' contract to the Tigers, which is highly unlikely, or pull him back off waivers, which appears likely unless the team is overwhelmed by a trade proposal.

If traded, he would serve as another late-inning arm for the Tigers, who have made several moves the past two months in an effort to address their troubled bullpen.

With Joakim Soria sidelined with a left oblique strain, Qualls could serve as the team's primary seventh-inning setup man behind Joba Chamberlain and closer Joe Nathan.

The Tigers have been linked to Qualls the past two months, reportedly targeting the 36-year-old around the non-waiver trade deadline last month. He has 3.07 ERA with 14 saves and a 1.16 WHIP in 44 innings pitched this season with Houston.

The Astros have indicated a desire to bring Qualls back for 2015, and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow suggested last month that he would have to be hesitant to trade the right-handed journeyman.

"I hesitate to use the word 'untouchable,' but he likes it here, he's comfortable here and he's pitching well," Luhnow told MLB.com. "To have a guy who's capable of pitching late in the game, in close games, we're going to have opportunity going forward. This is a team that's improving, and as the team improves, you have more save opportunities, more opportunities to pitch at the end of close games. We need more Chad Qualls. We don't need less."

If the Astros pull Qualls back, they will not be able to trade him until the offseason unless they pass him through irrevocable trade waivers, meaning he can't be pulled back if claimed.

The Astros signed Qualls to a two-year, $5.95 million contract this past offseason, and he is set to earn $3 million next season. The Astros hold a $3.5 million club option for 2016 with a $250K buyout, too.